Railway-signal



(No Model.) A E. FOAITAIAIE.`

RAILWAY SIGNAL y N0.V374,05$. yPatented Nov. 29, 1887.

N4 PETERS PhnlmLilhugrnphw. washington, D4 C,

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICEo EUGENE FONTAINE', or rrOLEDo, OHIO.

RAILWAY-SIGNAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 374,053, dated November 29, 1887.

' Application filed March 16, 1887. Serial No. 231,168. (No model.)

To all whom it mag/concern- Be it known that I, EUGENEl FONTAINE, of Toledo, in the county of Lucas and Stateof Ohio, have invented new and useful Improvements .in Railway-Signals; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and

. exact description thereof, reference being had plan of the actuating-lever and its safety and locking devices. Fig. 3 is a detached plan of the semaphore. Fig. 4 is a sectionon line x or in Fig. 1. n r

A is a hollow cast-iron post,which supports the semaphore B at the desired height above the ground, and formsan inclosing-case and support for the signal-staff iC.

The post` is composed of three sections, a b c, of which the section a forms the base, the section b a cap on top of the base, and the section c'the post proper.

The base-section a of the post has a top, d, provided withv a central hole which guides the signal-staff, and .with a segmental circular.

flange, c, which, in connection with the ad- 3 5 joining portion of the top, forms the platform for the lever D. IIhe cap b is bolted to the top of the base a, and is cut away on one side to forni an opening-for operating the lever.

`The tube-section cof the post consists of gaspipe screwed into the top of the cap b. At

- its top it forms aguide for the signal-staff, and

bears a clamp-collar, e', which has a projecting pivot-pin, f, for the semaphore.

The signal-staff consists of two disconnected sections. The lower one is connected at its lower end with the actuating mechanism of the crossing or switch (not shown) to, which the signal is to be applied, and at its upper end it has secured to it the rock-arm g.

-, To the lowery end of the upper section ofthe signal-staff' is secured the operating-lever D,

ldisplays the colored circles z.

' A latch-bar, l, pivotally secured to the free end of the rock-bar g, permits of locking the lever and rock-arm g together, as shown in Fig. 4, where m is the pivot of the latch, and n a little hook formed at the free end of the latch,'which is made rounding to permit the self-engagement of the lever D when forced under the latch, the latter having preferably only such a limited movement as will permit the engagement and disengagement of the lever and rock arm. In the position shown in Figs. l and 2 the latch, however, cannot be raised to unlock on account of the rigid arm o,which is now in its way. The object of this arrangement is to form a safety device, as hereinafter described.

The rock-arm g bears atits forward end a pin, p, which can be made to register with other holes, q, on the platform, and by means of a pin inserted therein, after registering, the rock-arm g can be firmly locked in place.

At one end of the platform is secured a suitable spring-catch, s, by means of which the lever D is locked in position when moved to this side of the platform.

The semaphore B turns on the central pivot, f, and upon its rear side is secured or formed a bevel-gear, t, which meshes with a bevelgear, u, secured on the upper end of the signal-staff. The central part of the semaphore is formed by a cast-iron hub, o, provided with screw-sockets w. The arms are formed of a gas-pipe frame, r, secured into the sockets w, and provided with a sheet-iron panel, Q, which Suitable pulleys are secured at the ends and in the center, and provided with hoisting-ropes forraising and lowering the lights used at night-time, all

in the usual manner.

In practice, as long as the leverD and rockarm g are locked together, the apparatus can only operate in the usual manner-that is, in

turning the lever D from one of its two prescribed positions into the other both the switch and the signal move together. In these two positions, which wc will call No l and Nd 2, the switch or crossing registers with one or the other of two tracks. Now suppose one of these tracks is used by the trains of two different roads; then it becomes necessary to have different signals for the two roads, without, however, changing the position ofthe switch. This is done by unlocking the lever D from the rock-arm g and moving it into a new position, No. 3, where it engages with the spring-catch s. Thus the signal aloneis turned into a new position without changing the switch, which is kept locked in position by the pin p.

To prevent any mistake in setting the crossing or switch in the right way when No. 3 signal is used, I secure the safety-arm o in such position that the lever D cannot be unlocked when the switch is in the wrong position. Thus in the drawings it is supposed that position No. 2 is the proper position in which the switch has to be left to use No. 3 signal, and therefore the safety-arm o is placed so as to prevent the unlocking of the latch when the lever D is in position No. 1.

It is obvious that the position of the arm o must be changed to suit a different condition, and it will be further understood that the number of different signals which may be obtained by the use of the disconnected lever D is not necessarily limited to one alone.

The construction of the apparatus combines simplicity with strength and durability, and the different mechanism is well protected against accidental or malicious injury.

What I claim as my invention isl. In a railway-signal, a signal-staff made in two disconnected sections in the same vertical plane, the upper section, which carries the signal, being provided with the actuatinglever, and the lower section, which operates the switch or crossing, being provided with a separableactuating-connectionwithsaidlever, f

substantially as described.

`2. In a railway-signal, a signal-staff made in two disconnected sections, the upper section, which operates the signal, being provided with the actuating-lever, and the lower section, which operates the switch or crossing, being provided with a separable actuating-connection with said lever and with a safety-guard for preventing the separation of said connection at a certain position of the lever, all substantially as described.

3. In a railway-signal, a signal-staff` made in two sections, the upper section, which carries the signal, being provided with the actuating-lever, and the lower section, which connects with the switch or crossing, being provided with a rock-arm, a locking device between said rock-arm and the actuatinglever, and a locking device between said rock-arm and the platform or frame, all substantially as described.

4. In a rrailway-signal, the combination of the signal-staff C, made in two disconnected sections, t-he lever D, secured to the upper section, the rock-arm g, secured to thc lower section, and the locking-latch Z, all constructed to operate substantially as described.

5. In a railway-signal, the combination of the signal-staff C, made in two disconnected sections, the lever D, secured to the upper section thereof, the rock-arm g, secured to the lower section thereof, the locking-latch Z, carried by said rock-arm, and the safety-arm 0, secured to the frame and extending over the locking-latch, substantially as and for the purposes described.

6. In arailway-signal, the coinbination,with the signal-staff C and its actnatingconnections, of the post A, consisting of the base a, provided with the top d, the cap b, eut away upon the side, and the tube c, secured to the top of the cap, all substantially as described.

7. In combination with the post A, the signal-staff C, made in two disconnected sections supported in guide-bearings in said post, the rock-arm g, secured to the lower section of the signal-staff and supported on the platform d, the stud 7' on the inner end of the rock-arm, the lever D, secured to the lower end of the upper section of the signalstai't', and the hub t' of the leverl D, engaging on the pivot-studj, all substantially as described.

8. In a railway-signal, the combination of a hollow post, a signal-statt centrally supported in guide-bearings within said post, a bevel gear-wheel secured on the upper end of the signal-staff, a semaphore supported on a laterally-projecting pivot on top of the post, and a bevel gear-wheel secured to the rear side of the semaphore and meshing with the aforesaid gear-wheel on the si gnalstafl", substantially as described.

9. In a railway-signal, the semaphore B, consisting of the east-metal hub o, provided with the screw-sockets w, the frame 1', secured in said screw-sockets and forming the arms of the semaphore, and the sheet-metal panels y, all arranged and constructed substantially as set forth.

10. The combination of the actuating-lever D, the rock-arm (1, and the locking-latch l, carried by said rock-arm and having the rounding hood a and capable of a limited opening movement, substantially as and for the purposes described.

EUGENE FONTAINE.

Vitnesses:

H. STANLEY, E. SoU LLY.

IOO 

